Email is a necessary evil. Whether it’s personal communications, work-related updates or the latest sale at your favorite store, email is something we deal with nearly every day.

After trying dozens of email apps over the past eight years, Astro is the best email app I’ve come across, and the first that I both recommend and enjoy using.

What is Astro?

Astro is an email application for iOS and Mac that supports email accounts from Gmail, Google Apps (G Suite) and Office 365. The Astro email app offers a list of helpful features powered by AI, plus snoozing, actionable notifications and tons of customizations. Additionally, Astro’s built-in calendar allows for creating and managing events, and staying on track with your schedule.

Astro is a powerful, intuitive and enjoyable email app.Screenshot: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Why the Astro email app is great

The stock iOS email app is decent at helping you take quick action on emails. Left and right swipes from the inbox allow you to quickly archive or mark an email read (or unread). You can also swipe to quickly move an email.

Astro takes those gestures a step further and allows for full customization of those swipes. Features like “mark as read on archive” or “archive after reply” are also great for keeping your unread messages count in check. Astro’s email assistant — Astrobot — is also helpful for managing calendar events, creating reminders or unsubscribing from unwanted junk.

Who it’s for

Astro is a great email application if you’re a user of Gmail, Google Apps or Office 365. An all-inbox view, as well as per-account inboxes, make it great for users with multiple accounts as well. Anyone that remembers the days of Mailbox will find Astro to offer many similar features and an interface reminiscent of the now-defunct service.

Bottom line: Astro is the best email app

If you’re looking for a better application to manage your email, Astro is great! It’s the best email app for making email enjoyable.